We love Halloween. Rick and I dress up to pass our candy every year. We put giant spiders on our house, a graveyard out front, strobe light on the balcony and spooky music. Growing up, it was my goal to be the cool house with the great candy, so we give out full sized candy bars. We usually have a lot of fun.
Here we are ready for the kiddos to start coming.
We had a lot of trick-or-treaters this year, but I was very disappointed. Very few kids from our neighborhood showed up. I was looking forward seeing all the kids I know dressed up in their costumes, but I recognized very few groups of kids. I think the kids in our neighborhood go to the exclusive subdivision just above us, thinking it's better candy. Many of the people who did show up at our house were obviously hitting as many neighborhoods as they could and were trying to quickly get through ours to move on to the next one.
I couldn't believe how much candy those little kids were hauling around. There was one little girl who couldn't have been older than 6 who had an extra large shopping bag (the paper bags with handles that you get at a department store when you have an extra large purchase), it was almost half full of candy. WHAT?
I could see some kids' parents in the car ready to whisk their kid off to the next neighborhood to get more candy. It was kind of disgusting to me. We turned off our lights at 8:30, even though we weren't out of candy yet. I felt that instead of supporting a fun community holiday, we were promoting gluttony.
Do I sound like an old lady yet? Just wait....
When I was growing up, Halloween was a neighborhood celebration. We'd have neighborhood spook alleys and parties complete with a costume parade around the living room. We'd love seeing all the neighbors out trick-or-treating and socialized as we went. At the end of the night, when we were back at home divvying out the haul, we'd talk about how next year we would go to the big houses in the subdivision above us to get the awesome candy from the rich people, but we never actually did it. I'm so glad my parents never let us. They knew the holiday was more about community and less about candy. The memories and friendships we developed by everyone on the street investing in the neighborhood far outweighs any candy that would be eaten or thrown away soon after.
It's not just this holiday that I've felt like this. I often am sad that my neighborhood lacks a sense of community. Maybe it's the demographic of my specific area. We moved in when our kids and a lot of the kids on the street were a little older- tweens and teenagers, which can make it harder to find common ground for socialization. I know I come from a very unique situation that is not fair to judge all neighborhoods against. I was very blessed to have an amazing street to grow up on with lots of friends. We regularly held neighborhood talent shows, carnivals, parties, night games, and secret girl club meetings. These weren't church or community sponsored, just parents or kids planning and hosting events. I don't expect every place I live to be so social. I know I had a unique and wonderful experience. I sort of feel like I've gone from one extreme to another.
I've strayed a little off topic. My basic complaint is that, from my experience yesterday, I feel that the community aspect of Halloween has been lost to the quest for more and more candy. Am I wrong? In years past, we knew more kids who came trick-or-treating. Maybe the nice weather made it easier for people to not stay close to home this year and then stay out longer getting more and more candy. Maybe this isn't as epidemic as I'm viewing it to be, and it was merely a result of specific circumstances this year. Please someone share a more positive experience they had to give me hope that my favorite holiday hasn't turned into pure gluttony.
4 comments:
We had a costume parade at 4:30pm in the cul-de-sac above us. In the cul-de-sac by us, one neighbor every years passes out cups of chili, doughnuts, and hot chocolate while playing a kid friendly movie outside. (Madagascar 3 this year.) Even my older kids and the grownups congregate there and visit for a long time.
We used to have a neighbor where the teenagers would be sure to go, for he literally scared them. It was very elaborate. They have since moved, but we tell the stories of how Caleb was scared spitless of that house when he was young.
We even have neighbors that move out and come back to the neighborhood to trick-or-treat, and my kids' friends from school made a point of stopping by. And it's not for the candy. We all tend to give out the same Costco bag of chocolate bars! It's to see everyone again.
I would say I recognized 80% of the people at my door. I do get the roving older kids just out for a haul, so we tend to turn our lights off at the same time that you did.
It is a community thing here. The next door neighbor lets the neighbor kids ride his 4 wheeler up and down the street in good weather, we are always shoveling each others' driveways and building strategic forts, playing night games in the backyards, and playing tag through everyone's yards. The rule is common that a parent has to be home, but other than that, the kids come and go in bunches.
I'm very sorry that your neighborhood is not like that. But there is hope. It is found in a few places, but not many. :(
My neighborhood always does a soup pot luck before trick or treating. Maybe you'll have to be the planner.
Todd & Angie host us each year. We meet @ 5pm & visit & take individual & group pictures of everyone who dressed up. (Last year Jeff was Lt Jim Dangle & Todd was a nurse in a blow-up costume.) After pictures, the men & teenagers take the little ones out while us ladies stay behind to slave over dinner - fine to chat as the soup heats up on the stove! ;-)
Once our little Trick-or-Treaters return, we have a fabulous dinner followed by a little birthday celebration for Sindy's boys. Always a fun night! Come hang out with us next year!
I think you grew up in an unusually exceptional neighborhood. I think there are still a few places like that, but they are rare.
p.s. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I love your rants.
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